Pre-paid GSM users up by 6.1pc

Mobilk - Subscribers of the fixed phone services in the Sultanate stood at 298,717 at the end of August 2012 against 287,323 at the end of December 2011, constituting a rise of 4 per cent.

The monthly statistical bulletin released by the National Centre for Statistics and Data (NCSD) pointed out that subscribers of post-paid fixed phone services stood at 221,228 at the end of August 2012 against 215,193 in 2011 while the number of subscribers of pre-paid fixed phone service (Sahl) stood at 25,786 compared to 26,345 at the end of 2011. The number of public phones stood at 6,801.

The bulletin revealed that the number of fixed telephone line subscribers in the Governorate of Muscat stood at 138,863 by the end of August 2012, followed by the governorates of South and North Al Batinah (32,404), the Governorate of Dhofar (22,046), the Governorate of Dakhiliyah (19,914), the governorates of South and North Sharqiyah (16,358), the Governorate of Dhahirah (7,412), the Governorate of Al Buraimi (6,669), the Governorate of Musandam (2,943) and the Governorate of Al Wusta (405).

Subscribers of post- and pre-paid GSM service stood at 5,100,930 at the end of August 2012 compared to 4,809,248 by the end of 2011, a rise of 6.1 per cent.

Subscribers of billed GSM services stood at 457,197 by the end of August 2012 against 432,093 during 2011, constituting a rise of 5.8 per cent.

Subscribers of pre-paid GSM services rose by 6.1 per cent to 4,643,733 against 4,377,155 by the end of 2011.